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Brownfields 2007
Grant Fact Sheet
Saint Matthew School
Community
Association, Inc.,
Natchitoches Parish,
LA
EPA Brownfields Program
EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, commu-
nities, and other stakeholders to work together to
prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse
brownfields. Abrownfield site is real property, the
expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be
complicated by the presence or potential presence of a
hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. On
January 11, 2002, President George W. Bush signed
into law the Small Business Liability Relief and
Brownfields Revitalization Act. Under the
Brownfields Law, EPA provides financial assistance to
eligible applicants through four competitive grant
programs: assessment grants, revolving loan fund
grants, cleanup grants, and job training grants. Addi-
tionally, funding support is provided to state and tribal
response programs through a separate mechanism.
Community Description
The Saint Matthew School Community Association,
Inc., was selected to receive a brownfields cleanup
grant. The Association seeks to revitalize a historic
school building as a community and cultural center for
the region's minority population. The site is located in
Natchitoches Parish (population 39,080), where nearly
Cleanup Grant
$197,996 for hazardous substances
EPA has selected the Saint Matthew School
Community Association, Inc., for a brownfields
cleanup grant. Hazardous substances grant funds
will be used to clean up the Saint Matthew High
School site located at 2552 LA Highway 119 in
Melrose. The site is contaminated with inorganic
hazardous substances. Grant funds also will be
used to support community involvement activities.
Contacts
For further information, including specific grant
contacts, additional grant information, brownfields
news and events, and publications and links, visit
the EPA Brownfields web site at: www.epa.gov/
brownfields.
EPA Region 6 Brownfields Team
214-665-6780
http://www.epa.gov/region6/brownfields
Grant Recipient: Saint Matthew School Community
Association, Inc., LA
318-356-5555
The information presented in this fact sheet comes
from the grant proposal; EPA cannot attest to the
accuracy of this information. The cooperative
agreement for the grant has not yet been negoti-
ated. Therefore, activities described in this fact
sheet are subject to change.
21 percent of residents live below the poverty level,
and 22.7 percent of households earn less than $10,000
annually. The Saint Matthew High School site was the
first public high school constructed for African-Ameri-
cans in lower Natchitoches Parish and is listed on the
National Register of Historic Places. Once the site is
cleaned up, the Association can move forward with
redevelopment of the building as a cultural center. The
planned center will offer health, employment, educa-
tional, sports, and recreational programs.
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5105T)
EPA 560-F-07-224
August 2007
www.epa.gov/brownfields
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